Fish finger croissant: We tried the weird flavour combination which is best-seller at Sheffield cafe Cawa
We sampled this Anglo-French crossover to see if it deserves to follow in the jet stream of Concorde as the latest cross-Channel collaboration to change the world.
The very thought of a fish finger croissant is enough to have French people sputtering out their coffee.
But the weird flavour combination is proving an unlikely hit in Sheffield, where it has become the best-seller at the rapidly expanding chain of Cawa cafes.
We're all in favour of trying new things. After all, it's not too long since you would have been laughed out of the room for daring to suggest adding salt to your caramel, while a fish and chips pizza at a pub just outside Sheffield recently had diners raving.
So we decided to sample this Anglo-French crossover to see if it deserves to follow in the jet stream of Concorde as the latest cross-Channel collaboration to change the world.
I have to admit I had my misgivings about marrying a classic French pastry with the traditional British fish finger, more typically combined with chips and baked beans, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Our verdict on the fish finger croissant at Cawa
Cawa certainly knows how to bake a good croissant, with its delicious airy, buttery centre complemented by the golden flaky exterior. And the zingy tartar sauce (admittedly another French classic) cuts through the richness of the pastry delightfully.
The crispy fish fingers add some welcome crunch, while the buttery pastry enveloping the tender fish is another winning combination.
As food fusion goes, the addition of cheddar cheese to fish fingers was a step too far for me, but a quick poll of the office suggests this is a divisive opinion and perhaps I need to expand my culinary horizons.
All in all, it was certainly a tasty snack which filled a hole in the middle of the day.
Where can you get a fish finger croissant in Sheffield and how much does it cost?
We bought a takeaway fish finger croissant from the Cawa on Division Street in Sheffield city centre, where it was priced £5.50, and we had it heated, which I'd definitely recommend.
Cawa also has branches in Broomhill, where it is expanding into a former HBSC bank; at Meadowhall, where it has a takeaway called La Croissanteria; and in Chesterfield and Nottingham.
It has big expansion plans, with new cafes at Derby station, Leicester station and London's St Pancras station coming soon, along with a new sit-down cafe at Meadowhall.